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Tagged with beauty …

She walks tentatively into my tiny office, and takes a seat on the swivel chair. Clad in black tights, an oversized black t-shirt, and just-bought-yesterday neon running shoes, she looks nervous. I sit across from her, pen hovering over my official clipboard. I fiddle with the name tag on my nylon Personal Trainer vest. I’m … Continue reading →

The six-year-old me put the quirk in quirkster. She laid out perfectly matched outfits each night before school. She measured her pigtails to make sure they were even. She devoured books the way kids nowadays devour Spongebob. And she *may* have been a bit of a bossypants (Though thanks to Tina Fey, this is now … Continue reading →

Today I am thrilled to be guest posting over at Cara Stickland’s lovely blog, Little Did She Know. Cara has been hosting an utterly captivating series on her site entitled de(tales): stories of all those interesting details that make our life experiences so rich and unique. I hope you enjoy my de(tale) offering, Ugly Sweatshirt. … Continue reading →

You step out of the shower. Take a deep breath as the steam slowly creeps up to the ceiling. Inwardly tell yourself to have grace. To speak words of love. Of affirmation. Anything positive will suffice really. You turn to the mirror. You want so badly to love me. But that brick wall of insecurity … Continue reading →

As I strolled up the pebbled walkway a heavy wooden door was thrust open with a vengeance, causing my quiet ponderings to scatter like dandelion seeds. A tiny blur—no higher than my waist—bolted out like a shot. It was my niece Brielle, exhibiting the kind of precocious energy only a four-year-old can muster. She barely … Continue reading →

“We want to feel beautiful in our own skin. Not 20 pounds from now. Right now.” Look, I’ll admit it: we’ve had some good times together. I’ve spent more time with you–unhealthy though it may be–than I care to disclose. I might even have a subscription. I love sinking into a steaming hot tub and … Continue reading →

“I don’t spend my life in front of a camera. But I still feel pressure to appear a certain way.” I don’t remember when I first felt the need to do it. There was no shaming moment during my tender puberty years. No helpful tip in Seventeen magazine. I didn’t gain twenty pounds overnight. It … Continue reading →

“You were created to be strong and powerful and formidable. Not in spite of your sex, but because of it.” She teetered into the room wearing sky-high clear plastic heels, each one garnished with a giant pink bow. A floral pastel dress with a short flared skirt completed the ensemble. She beamed when her eyes … Continue reading →

“When your greatest insecurity is on display for the world to see, you convey a vulnerability that is attractive in a way perfection can never be.” Image Source I wouldn’t say I got into the tub planning to yell at God. But that’s what happened. The tub was filled far past the allowable level and … Continue reading →